Sam Kendricks dominated the competition at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials on Monday to win the pole vault at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. With the win, the Oxford native qualified for his first Olympics and will compete for Team USA at the Rio Games next month.

Kendricks, an Oxford High graduate and two-time national champion at Ole Miss, is the first OHS athlete to ever qualify for the Olympics. He began the trials ranked as the No. 2 vaulter in the world.

Cale Simmons and Logan Cunningham will also represent the U.S. in Rio. The Olympics begin Aug. 5 in Rio de Janiero.

Kendricks needed just one attempt in each of the first six rounds to advance before setting a trials meet record by clearing 5.91 meters (19 feet, 4 ¾ inches) on his third attempt. Having already claimed the title, Kendricks went for 6 meters but couldn’t clear the bar on any of his three attempts.

His personal best is 5.92.

See Tuesday’s edition of the EAGLE for more on this story.